A family fun day aimed at highlighting the wonder of science is to return to Crieff next month.

Science Fun Factory, which will showcase the weird and wonderful elements of science in all of its forms, will be held at Crieff Hydro on March 9 after attracting around 1000 visitors last year.

The free event, which will run from 10am-4pm, is being organised by the Association for Science Education, whose annual Scottish conference is being held at the hotel during the same weekend, and will celebrate the organisation’s 50th anniversary year.

With an emphasis on hands-on activities that promise to be hair-raising, illuminating and engaging, Perthshire residents, hotel guests and delegates’ families are being invited to attend – bookings are not required.

With indoor and outdoor elements, visitors can take part in fun and messy experiments and science workshops, enjoy a planetarium show, design, make and test rockets, take part in a robotic challenge and even embark on a molecule hunt, accompanied by molecule model-making.

Activities will be brought to life by experts from Glasgow Science Centre, Satrosphere, Our Dynamic Earth, universities, the Royal Observatory and Historic Scotland.

Steuart Cuthbert, ASE’s field officer for Scotland, said: “We are excited to once again be hosting the family fun day, which during its pilot last year attracted around 1000 visitors and provided a fantastic day out for families from Perthshire, Dundee, Fife and further afield.

“As part of our commitment and passion to inspire and enthuse youngsters in the many facets of science, we have created a varied programme packed with activities, workshops and events which we hope will provide a mesmerising, educational and memorable day out for children and adults of all ages.”

For more information email steuartcuthbert@ase.org.uk or go to www.asescotland.org.uk.